The Perfect Revenge

Chapter 11

Akshara

Quiet.

That's how I would sum up the past two weeks.

We had returned from Paris around 15 days ago and since then, Abhimanyu and I have barely spoken to each other.

Despite that, we've fallen into a routine of some sort.

We have breakfast at the same table each morning where he focuses on his newspaper and I just stare at my food.

None of us have tried to say anything and I think it was for the best.

He did speak to me once when he told me that he wanted me to attend all the meetings regarding the merger since I was the COO of Goenka Industries.

Little does he know that making me the COO was one of my father's clever plots to keep the truth away from everyone, to make people think that he loves his daughter.

In reality, all the COO decisions were made by him and I was told to just sign on the papers he put in front of me.

But the one thing that I learnt early on was that I must read every document carefully before signing anything because that man could make me sign a document to sell myself off for all he cares.

So I attended the meeting and finally the merger happened yesterday. It was officially announced in the press and was a huge buzz in the market.

Abhimanyu had back to back meetings and press conferences for the same and so I've barely seen him in the past two days.

As it is, he's not in the habit of sleeping and even if he does, it must be during the late hours of the night.

Meanwhile the biggest challenge in this has been dealing with my father. In all those meetings, I saw him glaring at me, fuming in anger. But he was helpless and was forced to stay quiet.

Twice, he has invited me to dinner saying that he misses me and wants to spend time with me.

But both those times, Abhimanyu said a clear no.

I think Abhimanyu believes that keeping me away from my father would be a punishment for me. Or for him.

I, on the other hand, couldn't have been more thankful!

Because I know the man that my so-called father is.

The merger, the betrayal from the Sinhas, Abhimanyu's threats, my trip to Paris and most of all, not being able to take out his anger on me is disturbing him.

The next time he finds me alone, he won't spare me.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared.

I've been beaten up so many times that I've lost count.

With belts, rods and what not!

Some nights I used to hide in the cupboard wondering whether I should make everything easy by simply taking my own life for once and for all.

But I couldn't do it.

Firstly, because Ayush needs me, he has no one else but me. I need to save him at all costs.

And also because I want to live the life I had always dreamt of.

A life of freedom, love, choice and happiness.

I cannot kill my own dreams.

So I've learnt to live with the wounds till I find a way to get all of this.

I've made progress with Ayush though. I spoke to him when I came back and after explaining some things to him, he finally started talking to me.

I think somewhere in his heart, he knows that I needed to do this.

And even though he doesn't completely understand, he loves me enough to trust me with this.

Now that Ayush is talking to me again, I can face anything. I can deal with Abhimanyu's torture and I can take another beating from my father.

I dial the hostel's number and I finally hear his voice again.

I want to keep today's conversation a little light-hearted. We've both had enough stress and now I want to make him happy.

So I ask him about his sports fest and he tells me that he won the second prize in athletics.

I even told him about the merger and the decisions I took as the COO.

"You're beauty with brains didi" he says and I laugh.

"Ayu, if you could live anywhere in India, which place would you choose?" I ask him randomly.

"Umm, anywhere?"

"Yeah anywhere" I smile.

He takes a minute to think "Chandigarh"

"Chandigarh...why?"

"My best friend Paras is from Chandigarh. I'd like to live closeby" he grins and I laugh at his cuteness.

"Ahm" I hear someone and turn around to see Abhimanyu. I had forgotten that it was dinner time and that he's very punctual with it.

"Ayu, I'll talk to you later, bye" I send him a flying kiss and cut the call.

As we sit down for dinner, Abhimanyu looks at me twice and it seems like he wants to say something but is hesitant to.

"You can say whatever you want, I can't deal with these awkward glances" I say honestly.

"We need to attend a charity fundraiser tomorrow. It's in collaboration with the Little Hearts Foundation for Girl Child Education. The event will be attended by a lot of my investors and business partners and you need to be present there. Otherwise the press will have questions." He says in a straight tone.

"So once again you want me to play dollhouse with you where I pretend to be the wife of a loving husband" I say sarcastically.

"Trust me, I hate it as much as you do"

"Tell me in advance if you're planning to leave me on the street this time too" I say in a bitter tone.

"If I tell you then it won't be fun, will it?" He says in an equally bitter tone.

"Wonderful of you to pretend to care for girl-child education when you're treating a woman this way. Your charity work is as pathetic as you are" I say in anger.

I hear no response from him so I look at him and he is seething. I don't think I've ever seen him this angry, not even when he saw me sitting in his room in Paris.

"Don't you ever say such a thing again Akshara! Never ever. This foundation means more to me than you can even imagine!" He shouts and gets up and throws away his napkin.

"There are some things that I will never tolerate, Akshara.

I haven't said anything to you since we came back because I wanted to give you a break before a new storm hits you.

But don't take my silence as my weakness. I feel no sympathy or guilt for you.

And this foundation is for-"

He suddenly stops talking and walks away in anger.

Why did he get so offended? And what was he going to say?

The foundation is for- for whom?

.

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Author's Note: Since you guys have been giving so much of love to the story, I decided to make it a double-update day, yay! 

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